Today just fucking sucks
So today is a front-runner for the "worst day ever" award for me. To preface, I'm in the hospital again because my PFTs were low, and I got a PICC line in my right arm on Tuesday.
Late last night I noticed that the veins in my right shoulder were a fair bit more noticeable than the veins in my left shoulder. The last time that happened, I had a clot and had to go on anti-coagulants for three months. So I let my nurse know, and in the morning I let my doctor know. I also called up my dad (also known as awesome-doctor-super-dad) and he agreed with me that my symptoms seemed to indicate a clot. Apparently he called my doctor to talk to her, then called me back and said that SHE said that she didn't think it was a clot, but we'd check for one just in case.
So they send me off for an ultra-sound of my shoulder, and it turns out that I do have a clot, just like I thought. Since the last time I had one it was sub-clavian (below my collar bone), my dad was wondering why I hadn't been put on extra anti-coagulants as a precaution. When he asked my doctor, she replied that I was up and mobile, so she hadn't worried about it. At which point my dad pointed out that walking is all well and good for preventing clots in the legs, but it's not gonna do shit for my shoulders and arms. Durr.
So the current competent-doctor score is Dad:2 Pulmonologist:0.
Anyhoo, because I keep getting clots when I use PICC lines, they're using a peripheral IV. Two, in fact, because now I'm on a constant Heparin drip. PICC lines can be kept in for up to a year, peripheral IVs have to be removed (and replaced in a different spot) every 3 days. FUCK. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. And because the hospital is a cheap bastard, I can't get a nice portable hip-pack IV pump for my CONSTANT Heparin IV, so I'm tethered to a big fuck-off pole for the next 4 days. And they can't draw blood from a peripheral IV, so any and all labs (which have been increased to make sure my Heparin levels are okay) involve a standard blood-draw with even more needles in my arms.
Fuck this. Just fuck this shit. Sometimes I wish they could just pop me in a medically-induced coma so I don't have to be awake for the constant hassling and poking and prodding and shit I have to put up with. I'm so tired and I just want to lay down and cry, but I can't even do that because people keep coming in to take my vitals and give me meds and shit like that. I just want a little privacy so I can wallow in my misery in peace.
Late last night I noticed that the veins in my right shoulder were a fair bit more noticeable than the veins in my left shoulder. The last time that happened, I had a clot and had to go on anti-coagulants for three months. So I let my nurse know, and in the morning I let my doctor know. I also called up my dad (also known as awesome-doctor-super-dad) and he agreed with me that my symptoms seemed to indicate a clot. Apparently he called my doctor to talk to her, then called me back and said that SHE said that she didn't think it was a clot, but we'd check for one just in case.
So they send me off for an ultra-sound of my shoulder, and it turns out that I do have a clot, just like I thought. Since the last time I had one it was sub-clavian (below my collar bone), my dad was wondering why I hadn't been put on extra anti-coagulants as a precaution. When he asked my doctor, she replied that I was up and mobile, so she hadn't worried about it. At which point my dad pointed out that walking is all well and good for preventing clots in the legs, but it's not gonna do shit for my shoulders and arms. Durr.
So the current competent-doctor score is Dad:2 Pulmonologist:0.
Anyhoo, because I keep getting clots when I use PICC lines, they're using a peripheral IV. Two, in fact, because now I'm on a constant Heparin drip. PICC lines can be kept in for up to a year, peripheral IVs have to be removed (and replaced in a different spot) every 3 days. FUCK. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. And because the hospital is a cheap bastard, I can't get a nice portable hip-pack IV pump for my CONSTANT Heparin IV, so I'm tethered to a big fuck-off pole for the next 4 days. And they can't draw blood from a peripheral IV, so any and all labs (which have been increased to make sure my Heparin levels are okay) involve a standard blood-draw with even more needles in my arms.
Fuck this. Just fuck this shit. Sometimes I wish they could just pop me in a medically-induced coma so I don't have to be awake for the constant hassling and poking and prodding and shit I have to put up with. I'm so tired and I just want to lay down and cry, but I can't even do that because people keep coming in to take my vitals and give me meds and shit like that. I just want a little privacy so I can wallow in my misery in peace.